Citations Over Rankings: What Search Specialists Say Works In 2026
Featured in TechRound's roundup on what works in search in 2026, sharing why AI search is no longer a single-query experience — and why brands must compete to stay in the conversation, not just rank once.
One of the biggest shifts I'm seeing is that AI search is no longer a single-query experience. Users ask a question, refine it, compare options and continue the conversation in the same session. That means brands are no longer competing just to 'rank' once. They're competing to stay in the conversation. What I'm seeing in practice is that the businesses performing best in AI search usually have enough depth and consistency for AI systems to keep returning to them as the conversation evolves. I often describe this as conversational persistence or conversation survivability. Companies optimise only for the first question. The real opportunity is building enough connected expertise, trust signals and conversational content for AI systems to confidently continue recommending the brand throughout the buyer journey.